Imagine Today

IWSG: My Journal

2025-10-01T23:35:00.002-04:00

It's October 1st already!!

Which means it's officially Spooky Season! I actually don't like really spooky things, but I love all the cartoonish ghosts and cute pumpkins!

This year I've promised my kids who are all adults that I would actually decorate our house for all the seasons. Every year our house has all the most lame decorations, even for Christmas. I always put up a tree, and I string some lights down our stair railing but that's about it. So we will see if I can impress my kids this year. 😂

Anyway it is also the first Wednesday of the month and I'm just barely getting my IWSG post up in time! I will go to check out everyone else's posts tomorrow.

Go visit all our awesome co-hosts for the October 1 posting of the IWSG: Beth Camp, Crystal Collier, and Cathrina Constantine!

Here is the optional question for this month.

October 1 question - What is the most favorite thing you have written, published or not? And why?

I have written poetry, children's stories, fantasy, and a memoir (the only published work), but I think my most favorite thing I've ever written is my journal. Sometimes my journal is my best friend, my therapist, and simply my place to store my memories and gratitude. It also acts as a sort of first draft to all my ideas. A place where I can simply write, unscripted and just let all of my thoughts pour out onto the paper. I do actually mean paper. I have written digital journals too but there is something about the act of creating letters with a pen on paper, it connects me with the past.

What a magical thing to be able to leave thoughts and ideas for anyone else to read throughout time like the Epic of Gilgamesh which was written over 4,000 years ago according to the Yale University Press website.

What is your most favorite thing you've written? Do you like Spooky Season?

Have a wonderful October!!

Love,

Kathy💕💕

Traveling Tuesdays: Five Things to Do in Sydney, Australia

2025-09-09T13:07:00.004-04:00

Five of my favorite things to do in Sydney Australia:

Sydney Opera House at night

1. See the Sydney Opera House-

This is the one place I knew I wanted to visit in Australia. Honestly, I didn't know much else about Sydney before we were there. The Opera House is even more impressive in person than in pictures. Built on a little peninsula surrounded by the Bay, it is Australia's crown jewel. It is hard to understand how big it is until you're standing in front of it.

Opened in 1973, the Sydney Opera House is not only the symbol of modern Australia but also its premier tourist destination, drawing visitors from all over Australia and the world. It is on the UNESCO World Heritage List and packs its schedule with several productions a year, making it one of the world's busiest performance arts spaces.

Opera House up close

There are restaurants all around it and a beautiful park nearby, so you can make a day of exploring the area. We tried to have a quick bite to eat at the little bar/cafe under the Opera House but it was packed full an no tables were available, so plan ahead if you want to try it.

One of the things I loved most about the Opera House was going inside and seeing the Sydney Orchestra perform one of Mozart's symphonies. Live music in general is a gift. I always marvel at how a full orchestra of all these different instruments and people melds into one spectacular unit.

There are plenty of types of performances you can see. There are tickets to anything from Broadway shows, to important speakers, to orchestra performances. The Opera House also offers many different types of tours throughout the building. If we get back to Sydney I would love to try one of those.

2. Climb the Sydney Harbour Bridge

This was so much fun, a little bit scary, but super safe. We purchased tickets for sunset which turned out to be one of the most amazing experiences. They give you all the equipment, windproof suits, headsets, harnesses, and a quick safety training class. Everyone has to leave their phones in the lockers provided for
clothes and belongings. Dropping a phone or something else from the top of the bridge, not only would be terrible for you but could seriously injure anyone on the ground or water below.

Sydney Bridge Climb guides recount the history of the bridge and other cool facts about Sydney and they take pictures for all the participants which are available for purchase later. Absolutely do this if you get a chance! Almost all the people that were in our group were from Australia, so it's for everyone, not just foreign tourists!

3. Go surfing!

URBNSURF Fun!

If you've followed me for very long, you know that I have an extreme phobia of being in the ocean- well any big water. I love looking at oceans, lakes, and rivers, I just don't like being in them or for that matter on tiny, tippy boats in them. So when
my husband told me he had signed us up for surfing lessons, my stomach dropped. "No you didn't," I said, hoping that he was only joking, even though I knew he wasn't.

The last time we had a surfing lesson in Hawaii with our son, I was so scared, I always made sure to be closer to shore than them. Of course I didn't want sharks to eat them, but I couldn't help it, I had to have them in between me and the deeper water.😂(yes, I am embarrassed to admit this) This time, my husband had sympathy for me. Our surf lesson was in a giant wave pool at URBNSURF where they have a surfing school. Yay!! I wouldn't be eaten by sharks that day!

We took an adult beginner level group class. For the first time, I really enjoyed surfing. I could focus on the technique of staying on the board instead of worrying about what was in the water. (Yes I know, thousands of people surf all the time all over the world and never see a shark-I just can't help it.)

This is definitely another activity I would do again!

4. Take a ferry boat to the beach

Manly Beach

The ferry is such an easy way to get from place to place in Sydney and a great way to snap pics of the Harbour Bridge and the Opera House. Until we were on the water, I hadn't realized how hilly Sydney and its surrounding areas were. Many of the little suburban towns are built on small hill sides overlooking the Bay.

Our first ferry trip was to Manly Beach. The town of Manly was a cute little town that kind of reminded me of the smaller California beach towns around San Diego.

I've always loved beach walks ever since I was a kid. My grandparents would walk with my brothers and I up and down the beach in Naples, Florida, which seemed to go on forever.

Manly Beach is not very big but its picturesque setting made a lovely place for families to come surf, play beach volleyball, or share a picnic together. There were two things I particularly noticed here that was different from most beaches I'd been to in the U.S. Almost no one had their phones out trying to snap the perfect photo of themselves "enjoying their best life" and almost everyone was involved in physical activity. Hardly anyone was just laying around on a blanket getting sun and drinking.

5. Visit the Taronga Zoo

We loved riding the ferries around Sydney Harbour and one day we took the ferry to the Taronga Zoo. I couldn't wait to see the koala bears! They were just as adorable as I expected. Big cuddly lumps of fluff just hanging out in the trees. One had a baby on its back trying to grab some leaves but mostly enjoying

snuggling with mama. So cute! I thought seeing koala bears in person would help my husband be able to distinguish between koalas and pandas-he insists (mostly just to annoy me) that they are really the same creature. They both eat leaves and are cute and fluffy. He still thinks they're the same even after seeing them. :)

The zoo had all the major animals you would normally expect and some you wouldn't seen before, like Tasmanian Devils-which look like really fat raccoons with no stripes and platypus who were so elusive we didn't see those even though they were there. We spent a couple hours enjoying everything from the reptile house to the seals. Then it was time to go find some shade and a nice place to eat. Sydney by the way has some great eats which I will post about another time!

All in all Sydney was great! Can't wait to get back!

Have you been to Sydney? What are your favorite things.

Hope your having a great week!

Love,

Kathy💕💕

Book Review: Habits of a Peace Maker

2025-09-05T05:00:00.002-04:00

I'm a middle child, the only girl surrounded by two brothers whom I love dearly. They are thirteen years apart which caused several misunderstandings and silly sibling squabbles between them. Even as a young kid, I felt it was my duty to smooth things over and keep the peace. It made me sad to see them not get along.

Luckily for me, they get along much better as adults, but it seems the world around us has become much more adversarial. One group hating on another, whether it's political, religious, racial, or nationality based.

Just like with my brothers, these conflicts and quarrels make me sad.

When my daughter recently recommended, Habits of a Peace Maker, by Steven T. Collis, I felt compelled to read it right away.

Mr. Collis's focus is on teaching people to listen to one another with respect and humility. The point isn't that we should all agree, it's more about getting closer to understanding one another. It's a quick read and the strategies are relatively simple and common sense, but I think we need this reminder. I know I have lost sight of it at times.

I read one negative review of the book commenting on how the author doesn't talk enough about global peace initiatives. Personally, I felt the book was written more to give us non-diplomat people some new habits and strategies to be able to better get along with our old Uncle Jerry at Thanksgiving, or our neighbor, or our older parents who we have tendencies to bicker with about politics, etc, maybe we even let some nasty words slip from our mouths.

I'm guilty of it, and I always regret it afterwards. I deeply love these people, why can't I let these arguments go and simply show them my love for them?

Mr. Collis reminds us that heated arguments don't change people's minds, they usually just make them defend their positions more fervently and nothing is accomplished except creating more anonymity between the people. That doesn't mean don't talk about important subjects. He also demonstrates how to bring up more sensitive topics in ways that help bring us together to work toward solutions instead of tearing people further apart.

One of my favorite quotes in the book is, "For so many of the problems in this world, many of us are not in a position to make any true impact. But making someone else's day just a bit brighter is something we can do everywhere we go."

This may be the only real way to change the world around us.

I rate Habits of a Peace Maker 4 out of 5 stars.

Have a wonderful day! 💕💕

Kathy

AI Writing, Art, and IWSG

2025-09-03T05:00:00.076-04:00

Posting: The first Wednesday of every month is officially Insecure Writer’s Support Group day. Post your thoughts on your own blog. Talk about your doubts and the fears you have conquered. Discuss your struggles and triumphs. Offer a word of encouragement for others who are struggling. Visit others in the group and connect with your fellow writer - aim for a dozen new people each time - and return comments. This group is all about connecting!

Our Twitter handle is @TheIWSG and hashtag is #IWSG.

The awesome co-hosts for the September 3 posting of the IWSG are Kim Lajevardi, Natalie Aguirre, Nancy Gideon, and Diedre Knight!

September 3 question - What are your thoughts on using AI, such as GPChat, Raptor, and others with your writing? Would you use it for research, storybible, or creating outlines\beats?

Perfect question for me this month! Call me old fashioned or maybe just plain old, but I'm a sceptic of AI. I have never intentionally used it, until this last week.

I grew up watching all the Terminator movies with my dad and brothers and there is just something uncomfortable about the idea of AI in general and especially projects like Meta's Super Intelligence Lab, which Mark Zuckerberg says will surpass human intelligence in all aspects. I'm not really certain that is what we want. Is it?

That old quote from Jurassic Park, sums up how I feel about AI,"Your scientists were so pre-occupied with whether or not they could, they didn't stop to think if they should."

But this week my daughter who is also a writer and blogger told me, "Hey mom, you should really give your blog a new look, you haven't updated it since 2015."

I knew she was right. I had been wanting to give it a makeover for a while, but I didn't know how. Then she suggested I use ChatGPT to help. Of course, I needed help from her to even use it. But within twenty minutes, my blog had a whole new, more professional look.

I had to admit I was impressed.

I'm still not inclined to use AI to actually write for me, I enjoy the process of writing too much. It is a type of meditation for me. Pouring my thoughts onto a page, refills my cup and heals my soul. That is why I write. Having a computer write for me seems empty.

Art is special, I think, because it comes from the heart and soul, from a human who has experienced ups and downs, tragedies and love, and everything in between. The artist then transcends time and space and allows us to feel too.

I especially love seeing live performances of music, concerts, orchestras, musicals, plays etc. Not only do you get to be immersed in the work of the creator of the piece you get to experience the way each actor or singer interprets the story as well and share that experience with everyone else in the theater. I don't think AI could give us an experience like that.

But now I see maybe there are instances where it can be helpful and not take away from the art itself. I did use AI to make fake picture of me.

Only sorta looks like me

I don't think I would want to use it for research...maybe to just do a preliminary search of a subject. But I enjoy stumbling upon research in a sometimes haphazard way, discovering something accidentally. I might be more open to trying AI for preliminary research and possibly some other small tasks, that I don't know how to do--though I'll probably have to wait for my daughter to be around to help me use it.😂😂

There is a wonderful opinion piece published in the New York Times a few weeks ago, written by a creative writing professor about the use of AI in writing check, it out if you have time.

What are your thoughts on AI? Should we all start doing our chin-ups Sarah Conner style so we can fight off the Terminator? Or am I way over thinking the power of AI?

Have a great week!!!

Kathy :)

End the Summer in New York City- A Travel Journal Part 1

2025-09-02T11:24:00.001-04:00

I think any weekend is a great weekend to be in New York City, but we had exceptional weather this Labor Day. A perfect end to the summer.

We arrived Friday around noon and were lucky to be able to check in to our hotel at Hyatt Place Chelsea. We’d never stayed at this hotel before, but we love the Chelsea area and thought we would check it out.

On the 21st floor, our room had a gorgeous view of the city. The room was small and simple but everything we needed for a weekend trip. The only negative I would say is that the elevator situation was pretty bad. There were 4 elevators but the timing of them was terrible and at least twice we decided to walk down the 21 floors because we were tired of waiting.

We dropped our stuff in our room and headed out to Chinatown. We got a cheap lunch of crispy duck and pork with rice that fed us both for under $10. Chinatown is a great place for delicious cheap eats, but many of the restaurants are cash only.

My husband also wanted to get a haircut at this little barber shop in Chinatown. He loves the way this barber cuts his hair even though there are only a few words that they are able to use to communicate. The barber speaks primarily Chinese and my husband does not. That doesn’t seem to matter, my husband is happy with his cut every time.

Saturday Church at NYTW

Then we headed down to this cute little wine bar called, Parcelle, to meet one of my husband’s colleagues from a previous job. We sat and drank wine at a little table outside and enjoyed catching up with her for a bit. It was a perfect evening to enjoy chatting and people watching as the sun set.

We ended the night going to see Saturday Church a new musical starring Bryson Battle from the Voice, at the New York Theater Workshop. It tells the story of Ulysses, a young LGBTQ+ youth struggling with his identity, caught between the worlds of his family's church and an LGBTQ+ sanctuary that finally allows him to be himself. It's an excellent show, with great singing, dancing, and music written by Sia.

We had planned this trip in part to celebrate my sister-in-law's birthday and decided to make it a mini-family get together in the city. Both my brothers and their families flew in and we met up with them Saturday morning. The early risers of our group headed out to New York City Bagel and Coffee House to get a quick breakfast before we met everyone else for brunch. I get super hungry in the morning and get a little hangry if I have to wait until everyone else gets up.😂

The birthday girl and the rest of the family joined us for brunch at Maman, where we celebrated with mimosas, great food, and lots of laughs.

Maman's eggs and farro salad

Next we were off to see a matinee of Heathers The Musical a dark musical comedy based on the 1980's cult classic movie, with Christian Slater and Winona Ryder.

The theater buzzed with energy from the crowd even before the musical began. The audience screamed and cheered throughout especially when the three Heathers arrived on stage for their popping rendition of Candy Store. Everyone jumped to their feet for a standing ovation at the end.

If you're in New York, go see this, it's BIG FUN!!!!

How did you celebrate Labor Day? When was the last time you went to NYC?

Hope everyone had a wonderful weekend. Stay tuned for Part 2 of NYC Labor Day Trip, where our journey takes a dark turn as well.

Heathers is Big Fun!

Also don't forget to stop by tomorrow for my IWSG post!

Love,

Kathy 💕💕

Magic at the Library

2025-08-29T05:30:00.014-04:00

My daughter works at our local library which is on my way home from work. Yesterday, I decided to stop in and say a quick "hi" to her and see how her day was going. She works at the circulation desk and no one was in line, so I just hung out there and we gossiped a little about what was going on in her day.

A customer walked up to check out books with her two little kids in tow. I moved aside so my daughter could do her job and I headed to my favorite sections.

This is where the trouble began. If I had just finished our conversation and said, "Okay sweetie, I have to go now," everything would have been fine. But nooooo, something was calling me from the inner most shelves like a tractor beam tugging at the Millennium Falcon.

I didn't need to pick up any books. I already have plenty on my night stand. Most likely though, I would look around for a little and not find anything, tell my daughter "goodbye," and head home.

Of course that's not what happened.

Libraries have this magical, serendipitous power. Fate can place a book that you never knew you needed to read on the top shelf of the stack you pass, someone can cough loudly next to you and you look over and see this book cover right in your line of sight. Some unknown force makes you reach out to grab the book and you flip to the summary on the back cover.

It's got you.

You can't put it down now. You know you have to take it home and read it.

Yesterday, seven books caught me in their spell. Could I have written their titles down and gotten them a different time when I needed another book?

Sure!

But I was drawn to them in this moment and I let the serendipity lead me right to the circulation desk where my daughter checked out all the books for me.

I know I probably won't finish all of them, but I figured it also helps the library to check out lots of books. In a time when funding for our libraries, especially in Ohio is scarce, it helps to show that they are being used often!

So go to your local library to support them and let serendipity take over!

Have a beautiful day!

With Love,

Kathy💕💕😀

Traveling Tuesdays: Ancient Temples of Angkor Wat--Otherworldly

2025-08-26T13:49:00.001-04:00

One of many ornate towers of Angkor Wat

Ever since I heard there were ancient temples discovered in the northwestern jungles of Cambodia, I dreamed of one day visiting Angkor Wat. I thought of myself as an Indiana Jones type explorer trudging through the jungle...well minus all the bugs, spiders, and snakes.

Actually, I'm not even all that adventurous. I'm terrified of being in the ocean or any big water. I'm scared of bears and other large creatures with big teeth, and I'd much prefer staying at a nice hotel than roughing it in the wild. But I LOVE to travel and see new places, it inspires me and fuels my imagination.

Luckily for me, my husband is adventurous and last April we ended up in Siem Reap, Cambodia as part of an extended trip around Asia. We only had two days in Cambodia so on the day we were visiting the temples, our Tuk Tuk driver, Tiger, picked us up in the morning from our hotel in Siem Reap. We drove about a half hour to the temple grounds which cover over 400 acres of land. Angkor Wat and its surrounding temples are deemed the largest religious site in the world.

Devatas

The temples were built over a 30 year period from about 1110-1150 AD. They were built by the Khmer people during the reign of King Suryavarman II and dedicated to the God Vishnu. Throughout the temples, the walls are covered in bas relief carvings of Hindu Gods, Apsaras, Devatas, and scenes depicting the ancient Hindu texts the Mahabharata and the Ramayana.

Several years after the death of Suravarman, Jayavarman VII, ruled the Khmer empire and converted to Buddhism rededicating Angkor Wat to Buddha.

It is now a fascinating mix of both religions, with statues of Buddha, Vishnu, and the Hindu inspired bas relief carvings.

I found out recently that Angkor Wat was never "lost" at least to the local monks, the Western world simply "rediscovered" it in 1860. That fact, though, doesn't take away from the temple's otherworldly mystery.

The temple grounds are a hugely popular tourist destination and the day we were there was no exception. It happened to be part of the Cambodian Songkran Festival (New Year's) so many locals were visiting the temple as well as foreign tourists.

In 2018, there were over 2 million people that came to visit. Many Buddhists and Hindus alike come on religious pilgrimages. They kneel before Buddha in silent meditation, leave offerings, light incense, and pay homage to the wall-length battle scene in the Ramayan where Rama defeats Ravana.

Aside from the splendor of the architecture, one of my favorite moments visiting, was when a family with three teen girls dressed in the beautiful, traditional Khmer silk sampot, were trying to get selfies in front of the most photo worthy spots. They laughed and joked with each other as they posed for pictures-exactly like our kids at that age when we took them to New York City or Yellowstone National Park.

Bas relief wall carvings

Some times you dream of visiting a place for a long time and then when you finally get there, it doesn't live up to what you expected.

Buddha with flower offerings

That was not the case here. It was breathtaking. At one point there was a steep staircase(almost scary steep!) that climbed nearly to the top of the temple where you can look out over the vast surrounding jungle.

How many people throughout its 900 years have looked out over this same scene. It's eerie and beautiful at the same time, like somehow your connected to those souls that have set foot in the same place, you have shared that same space, not in the same time but nonetheless you can almost feel their presence, as if some of their energy stayed behind.

Every so often we would come across a bullet hole in the stone walls. A relic from the more recent past, when the ruthless Khmer Rouge took over Cambodia.

It was pretty crowded when we were there around mid morning. Most of the travel sites suggest getting there early to see the sunrise over the temple and beat the crowds. I'm not sure if it would be less crowded since everyone advises it, but it would definitely be cooler at that time.

It was an oppressively hot and humid day and my choice of clothing to modestly cover my shoulders and knees(required to visit) wasn't quite breathable enough, so I wasn't too disappointed that we only took a half day to see as much as we could. It was not nearly enough time to even see half of the complex.

The grounds were a huge maze of temples and forest intertwined. A few times, we met up with our driver, Tiger, who took us across bridges and through gates that led to other temple buildings. He told us much of the history as we drove and he pointed out special spots. One was the King's palace, I can't remember which king built it though, and one temple was supposed to be where he was buried.

He told us what this gorgeously ornate temple was to the left--but I can't remember. There is far too much for my brain to absorb in one day.

At one point, a monkey crossed our path on his daily commute, he didn't even seem to notice we were there. Another monkey, much more serious looking, sat on a shaded corner of the outer wall, like an ancient temple guard keeping an eye on the intruders. No more than ten feet from us a whole family of monkeys in a tree broke out into a turf war, screaming and chasing one another up and down the trunk. Despite all the human visitors, this was still their jungle.

Ta Prohm-"Tomb Raider" temple

Even the trees don't respect the man-made boundaries. At the Temple of Ta Prohm, where Tomb Raider was filmed with Angelina Jolie, the trees are taking back the jungle, trying to erase our footprints. Their giant roots are consuming the temples, leaving areas of rubble in their wake. I'm not sure what was more impressive at Ta Prohm, the intricately carved temples or the trees here.

It looked like science fiction, like somewhere on another planet.

If you ever have a chance go visit Angkor Wat and immerse yourself in this stunning other world.

This video below shows the massive heads carved on one of the bridges leading to a temple gate.

For more info on Angkor Wat check these out:

Lonely Planet

Britannica.com

World Pilgrimage Guide

UNESCO

Have you been to Angkor Wat? Do you like to travel? What's one of your favorite places to visit?

Have a great week!

Kathy :)

My Little Babies in their Pots

2025-08-22T14:47:00.001-04:00

3 healthy avocados and one a squirrel got

I love my garden. When my hands are in the dirt taking care of my plants, whether it's planting, weeding, or harvesting herbs and flowers, I'm at peace and in the moment. It is my little time of "active meditation."

My newest little babies are 5 brand new avocado seedlings. A couple months ago, my husband and I were really craving fresh guacamole, so I made a big batch and I had all these beautiful avocado pits left over. I decided to see how many I could germinate. Over the years of being a plant geek, I've come up with my own method for avocados.

Starting a new avocado pit

I rinse the pits and then lightly wrap them in wet paper towel. I place them in an unsealed ziplock bag and hide them in a darker corner of my kitchen. I check on them occasionally, and after a few weeks, the pits have cracked open and the root begins to appear, it's pretty magical.

Out of the six pits that I wrapped, 5 of them produced roots. I planted all of five. Four of those sent out stems quickly, the fifth one looked like it was trying to but it wasn't making much progress. We've had super hot moist conditions all summer here in Ohio, so it's been good weather for them to grow in.

Last week, I was disappointed to see that some animal, probably a squirrel, had climbed onto my deck and dug one of the pits up and eaten it in half, breaking the tree stem from its roots! But the rest were unharmed. In an effort to try to save the little guy, I've cut the end clean and dipped it in a rooting medium to see if he can survive, I don't have a lot of hope for him but maybe he can pull through.

The little, slow seed finally did send out a shoot to the sky and he's doing fine at almost 6 inches tall!

Slow little guy

Hopefully, they can all grow strong enough before October, to be brought inside and survive the cold gray winters in Ohio.

My fresh guacamole :)

I'll share the recipe in another post!

Hope your week has been great!

Have you started avocados successfully? Do you have an "active meditation" activity? What good news do you have this week?

Kathy 😃🩷🩷

IWSG, Cliffhangers, and More!

2024-12-04T10:23:00.006-05:00

How is it already December?!!

It's time for another IWSG post, where we ask all our questions, release our writing fears, and support this awesome community!

Our lovely hosts for this month are: Ronel, Deniz, Pat Garcia, Olga Godim, and Cathrina Constantine!

The optional question for this month is: Do you write cliffhangers? Do they turn you off as a reader/writer?

I personally don't write cliffhangers, but maybe that is mostly because I've never written a series. I'm not particularly turned off by them if they are done well. Especially for a trilogy or series you have to make the reader want to find out what is next, but I don't think that requires a dramatic cliffhanger. If you've written the characters with enough depth and the story is compelling, readers should automatically be drawn to the next book or chapter.

I hope everyone who celebrates had a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday or at least enjoyed some well deserved days off!

We had a great time with a bunch of our family who came in to visit. Lots of food and laughter. My favorite dish is always the apple pie! What's your favorite?

We also went to see the new Wicked movie. As huge Broadway fans, we were blown away by it! We were moved to tears almost as soon as Cynthia Erivo (Elphaba) began singing. She was absolutely divine! I'd love to hear your thoughts if you got to see it.

Happy Holidays to all!!

Kathy :)

San Diego & IWSG

2024-11-08T21:21:00.006-05:00

San Diego Harbor

I've always wanted to go to San Diego. I'm not really sure why other than as a kid I loved watching nature shows with my grandpa and they often would show bits and pieces of the San Diego Zoo. Last week, my husband and I finally spent a week there.

Compared to Cleveland, it was pretty much heaven. Blue skies and bright sun every day, high temperatures in the mid 70's, and lows in the high 50's! Back home we have grey, cloudy yuck about 362 days of the year.

Then there's the ocean and all of its beautiful bounty-- pelicans, seals, sea lions, the sound of waves crashing to shore... Ahhhh

La Jolla Beach -just north of San Diego

Year round flowers and green trees--bougainvillea, palm trees, roses...

Rose Garden in Balboa Park

The Zoo lived up to my childhood dreams-- we got to see koala bears, sleepily munching eucalyptus in their trees! Yes, they are just as cute as expected!! There was a giant elephant enclosure with jungle gym like toys to keep the elephants happily playing (I hope they were happy at least); tigers, cheetahs, lemurs, meerkats, mandrills, and so many other monkey-like animals.

*TIP: Definitely get there right when it opens, it gets quite crowded later in the day with a plethora of parents pushing multi-child strollers. In the morning, we got to see many of the little fur-balls active and having breakfast and we didn't have to make our way through a maze of strollers.

We had such a wonderfully relaxing time, it was definitely hard to head back home-though we missed our own little fluffy beasts (a beagle, a dachshund, and a toy Aussie Shepherd) and of course our kids (who are mostly adults but still mostly kids. 🤣🤣

And that is part of the reason that I totally forgot to post my IWSG on Wednesday! I was so excited last month to start posting again regularly and already on my second month I'm posting late :(

So sorry!

THE IWSG!!!!!

If you're new to the IWSG, it's all about connecting and supporting other writers. Here is the official mission statement of the IWSG.

Purpose: To share and encourage. Writers can express doubts and concerns without fear of appearing foolish or weak. Those who have been through the fire can offer assistance and guidance. It’s a safe haven for insecure writers of all kinds!
Posting: The first Wednesday of every month is officially Insecure Writer’s Support Group day. Post your thoughts on your own blog. Talk about your doubts and the fears you have conquered. Discuss your struggles and triumphs. Offer a word of encouragement for others who are struggling. Visit others in the group and connect with your fellow writer - aim for a dozen new people each time - and return comments. This group is all about connecting!

Let’s rock the neurotic writing world!
Our Twitter handle is @TheIWSG and hashtag is #IWSG.

The awesome co-hosts for the November 6 posting of the IWSG are Diedre Knight, Lisa Buie Collard , Kim Lajevardi, and JQ Rose!

Every month, we announce a question that members can answer in their IWSG post. These questions may prompt you to share advice, insight, a personal experience or story. Include your answer to the question in your IWSG post or let it inspire your post if you are struggling with something to say.
Remember, the question is optional

November 6 question - What creative activity do you engage in when you're not writing?

I have two other main creative loves:

1. Figure skating, which as far as I'm concerned, is equally art and athleticism is my first love after writing. I have been skating maybe longer than I've actually been writing. Being originally from Michigan, where many babies are born with skates on, I started skating almost as soon as I could walk--which was before I could hold a pen or pencil in my hand to make letters. I've continued to actively skate my whole life with the only time off when I was pregnant with my kids. I've spent almost 35 years coaching skaters and one of my favorite things is creating programs for the kids in which they can tell a story to the crowd.

Video below is me a couple months ago. :)

2. Cooking/Baking is my other creative love. There is just about nothing better than creating a meal that brings people together. Special memories and bonds are made when friends and family sit together around a table talking, laughing, and enjoying great food. I love cooking so much that my next writing project is actually creating a cookbook. Right now I'm in the process of gathering all my recipes and cooking them to make sure they are written correctly! Every now and then I'll be posting them here on the blog.

Here's what I baked this afternoon with fresh Ohio apples-you'll have to wait for the recipe!

Apple cinnamon muffins. Yum

Can't wait to read what you all do besides writing!

Take time to take care of yourselves this month and then have a wonderful love filled Thanksgiving!!!

Love to all of you!!

💗💗💗

IWSG Spooky Season Stories

2024-10-02T05:00:00.001-04:00

If you're new to the IWSG, it's all about connecting and supporting other writers. Here is the official mission statement of the IWSG.

Let’s rock the neurotic writing world!
Our Twitter handle is @TheIWSG and hashtag is #IWSG.

The awesome co-hosts for the October 2 posting of the IWSG are Nancy Gideon, Jennifer Lane, Jacqui Murray, and Natalie Aguirre!

Every month, we announce a question that members can answer in their IWSG post. These questions may prompt you to share advice, insight, a personal experience or story. Include your answer to the question in your IWSG post or let it inspire your post if you are struggling with something to say.

Remember, the question is optional

October 2 question - Ghost stories fit right in during this month. What's your favorite classic ghostly tale? Tell us about it and why it sends chills up your spine.

I have to admit, I don't really like scary stories. But there are a couple stories that have never left my mind after I was exposed to them.

The Tell-Tale Heart and The Black Cat by Edgar Allen Poe have always totally creeped me out. I'll never forget reading them in my 6th grade English class.

In both of these stories, the narrator murders someone and hides the body in their house. In the Tell-Tale Heart, the body is dismembered and hidden under the floor boards. The narrator's wife, in The Black Cat, is hidden behind the brick wall. Both of these murders seem to have happened not because of any specific injury against the narrator but because of some type of mental illness that the narrator is battling. In the end of both stories, the subconscious guilt that each character struggles with pushes them further over the edge of sanity and they end up revealing themselves as the perpetrators of the crimes.

As a 6th grader, the thought of a body being hidden behind a wall or under the floor was horrifying enough but then, the paranormal aspects of the narrator "hearing" the beating heart of the dead man under the floor in Tell-Tale Heart and the white noose forming in the fur of the black cat and the constant scratching sound behind the wall in The Back Cat, really freaked me out! Anytime I was alone in the house and heard "weird" creaking or other sounds, the hairs on the back of my neck stood up and I wondered if something paranormal was occurring!

Even today, the movies that freak me out the most are combinations of paranormal and psychological horrors. They just get stuck in my head and I dream about them for weeks afterward!

So when my husband watches spooky stories with our kids in October, I hide under the blankets with my ears plugged!!

What spooks you the most? Do you watch scary movies every October?

In other news:

It's been a crazy year so far. Our daughter Jess got married this June and we had such a wonderful time hosting so much of our family and friends. It was a beautiful day full of love and blessings!

When the festivities were over, I finally had a little time to get back to normal life and start writing more. I've been working on a couple of picture books and I'm also in the process of writing a cookbook. I'll be posting a bunch of recipes here that I'd love feedback on if you try them!

Hope all of you are doing great and having a good year so far! Can't believe we're at the tail end of 2024 already!

Love,

Kathy :)

Foodie Friday: Easy Beef Stir Fry

2024-09-27T12:34:00.000-04:00

Easy Ground Beef Stir Fry

My husband has been very motivated to get healthy this year by playing men's league hockey three times a week, weight lifting, and by eating right. He came home from weight lifting one night saying he wanted simple ground beef and veggies and that's it. That sounded kind of boring to me. So I thought, why not make it like a mix between a fried rice and a basic taco meat. Here's what I came up with. It is now my husband's favorite meal!

Let me know what you think!

Beef Stir Fry

1.5 pounds lean ground beef-- I use 92% lean (you can also use ground turkey)

1.5 tsp cumin

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp crushed red pepper (if you like really spicy feel free to add more!)

1.5 tsp oregano

4 eggs (I use 2 eggs and 1/2 cup egg whites)

1/2 onion-finely diced

4 cloves garlic-finely chopped

About 8 mini red peppers thinly sliced

About 6 mushrooms/shitake or button work great in this

2-3 Tb vegetable oil-I've been using avocado oil lately

1.5 cups Spinach- rinsed, dried and chopped into ribbons (kale works too if you prefer)

Fresh parsley-optional

Cooked Rice

Teriyaki sauce drizzle on top

Jalapeno optional

Teriyaki Sauce:

1/2 cup soy sauce

1/2 cup dark mirin

1/4 cup granulated sugar

Teriyaki Sauce Directions

Heat soy sauce and mirin in a small saucepan over medium-low heat. Bring to a slow simmer and stir in the sugar until dissolved. Continue to simmer about 5-8 minutes until it thickens to desired consistency. Allow it to cool while making the stir fry, sauce will continue to thicken as it cools.

Beef Stir Fry Directions

1. Start cooking rice.

2. Cut up onions, garlic, peppers, mushrooms, and spinach.

3. Put all the spices (cumin, salt, crushed red pepper, and oregano) in a little bowl and combine.

4. Crack eggs into a bowl and add egg whites.

5. Heat a large frying pan over medium heat.

6. Add a Tb of oil to the pan.

7. Brown the ground beef.

8. Add all the spices and cook for another minute.

9. Remove ground beef from pan and pour into a large serving bowl.

10. Add more oil if necessary to the pan and saute the mushrooms and peppers for a minute or two and then add onions, and garlic and saute until fragrant and translucent.

11. While veggies are sautéing, whisk the eggs and egg whites together until fluffy.

12. Add more oil to the pan if necessary and pour the eggs into pan.

13. Cook just until the eggs begin to set up.

14. Pour the beef back into the pan and fold into the eggs.

15. Cook until the eggs are fully cooked and distributed like in a fried rice mixture. Stir in fresh parsley if desired.

16. Pour back into the serving bowl.

Serve over rice (or cauliflower rice for Keto) or by itself and drizzle with teriyaki sauce.

Enjoy!!

Book Review: Four Thousand Weeks Time Management For Mortals by Oliver Burkeman

2024-09-22T21:22:00.000-04:00

I used to think of time management as a tool to accomplish the most amount of work in the most efficient manner. This book is not about that type of time management. It's not about productivity. Four Thousand Weeks by Oliver Burkeman is an eye opening look at managing the time in our lives by choosing to spend our time doing the things that are really important to us instead of saying, "Oh I will work on my passion when I have more free time." So many people put off what they really want to do and then never get to it.

The average person lives approximately 4,000 weeks and that of course is if you're lucky to live into your 80s. That doesn't really seem like very many weeks.

If you have a dream, start working on it now.

I'm more than half done with my 4,000 weeks. I only have about 1296 weeks left. Maybe I'll have a little more time as I have two grandparents that lived into their 90s and my mom at 82 is still going strong. But the point is you never really know.

My task is to think about how I really want to spend what I do have left. Some people think this is a depressing way to think, or that it means you have to be working all the time. I see it more as liberating. Thinking about it makes me at least a little more present and grateful each day. Maybe some days I still want to sit back and watch some football with my husband, spend a day writing, or take a nice long nap, but the point is that I want to be consciously making those decisions instead of mindlessly going through the motions each day. I want to be present and choose what is important to me each moment.

What will you choose to do more of?

Kathy:)

New York: Love It or Hate It

2024-09-18T23:00:00.001-04:00

View from a rooftop bar

New York City.

It seems that whenever I tell people I'm going to New York, I get two responses;

"Oh I just LOVE NYC!"

or "Oh really? I hate New York."

My husband and I adore it. Every chance we get, we escape our life in Cleveland and catch a quick flight to the Big Apple. For us it's only 59 minutes away. So as long as there are no delays or cancellations at the airport its super easy to get there.

As soon as the Manhattan skyline comes into view we sigh, feeling somehow like we are home again. Though we both grew up in the Midwest and have lived in Ohio for 18 years.

Yes, it is dirty especially on trash day. Yes, sometimes you will see an occasional rat running down by the subway tracks. Yes, it is crowded and there are homeless people lying on the sidewalk.

But 1.6 million people live in Manhattan alone and on weekdays the population swells to 3.9 million according to the World Population Review that's approximately 170,000 people/square mile on a workday. If you count all five boroughs there are roughly 8 million people, double the amount of Los Angeles. Fun fact, there are also over 800 different languages are spoken in NYC! That's pretty cool!

Of course there will be problems with that many people. But there are so many positives. Here are just some of them.

1. You can pretty much find any type of food you could ever want to try. You can go as fancy as you want spending thousands on a meal, especially if there is alcohol involved, but there are plenty of cheap eat options. A few weekends ago, my husband and I stuffed ourselves with the most delicious pork buns and dumplings in Chinatown for under $20!

Brunch is my favorite meal of the day and two of my favorite spots are Jack's Wife Freida and Balvanera. Hmm I'm getting hungry just thinking about them.

2. The entertainment available is infinite. From small intimate comedy shows, new plays, and less well-known bands to the glitz and glamour of Broadway, superstar performers like Billy Joel playing Madison Square Garden, or a night at Saturday Night Live. Oh and don't forget all the professional sports you can watch. They have it all, baseball, hockey, basketball and football, take your pick! You can find whatever type of entertainment suits you.

3. Roof-top Bars. There is nothing like watching the sunset over the NYC skyline at a rooftop bar sipping a Negroni or a Paloma!

4. There are an endless amount of beautiful cathedrals, historical museums, art museums, and historical places to visit, like Alexander Hamilton's grave and Fraunces Tavern and Museum which was a key meeting place in the Revolutionary War period.

5. Shopping! You can buy anything you could possibly want in NYC. 5th Avenue has all the super fancy big name stores like Gucci, Dior, Tiffany, Bergdorf Goodman etc. Even if you're not buying they are fun to browse.

Brooklyn Bridge

6. The parks are great! Of course Central Park is the biggest of them all. You could spend an entire day there; walking around, enjoying the lake, taking a boat out on the water, just sitting in the grass having a picnic, getting your exercise by running or biking in the park, and there are pull up bars and other gymnastic work out equipment in some parts of the park.

Washington Square Park is another of our favorites. We could spend hours sitting on a bench by the fountain simply enjoying the weather and people watching--and ooohing over all the cute doggies that walk through.

7. We also love that NYC is such a great walking city. You would never have to take a car, you could walk pretty much anywhere, and when you're tired or in a hurry (or it's pouring down rain and you forgot your umbrella) you can always take the subway or grab an Uber. We have clocked over 20,000 steps in a day on some trips.

After all New York City is one of the top destinations in the world to visit! We already can't wait for our next trip!

What do you think? Love it or hate it? What are your favorite spots in NYC?

Kathy :)

Key Lime Pie

2024-09-17T20:20:00.000-04:00

Key Lime Pie has been my oldest daughter's favorite birthday treat for as long as we can remember. Today, she turned 28. So I made her another one.

This recipe is definitely more on the tart side, so if you don't like things super tart, cut down on the key lime juice. The first time I made it, I actually hand squeezed about 30 tiny key limes, which took forever! I decided either I was never going to make it again or I had to find a better way. That's when I discovered, "Nellie and Joe's, Famous Key West Lime Juice from concentrate"--a total game changer!

Ingredients:

28 Squares of honey graham crackers

1/2 cup granulated sugar

2 tsp of cinnamon

1 stick of unsalted butter-melted

2 cans of condensed milk

1 cup Nellie and Joe's key lime juice (you can squeeze enough limes to get 1 cup if you really want to)

2 jumbo eggs at room temperature (most recipes call for large eggs but this one works best with jumbo- though you can still use large.)

*Fresh lime zest and Whipping Cream -to top it with. (optional)

Directions:

1. Preheat your oven to 375 degrees.

2. Process the graham crackers until they are fine crumbs.

3. Pour in the sugar, cinnamon, and melted butter and process again until the crumbs come together like wet sand.

4. Press the crust mixture into a pie pan and bake until just slightly browned, about 12 minutes.

5. Remove from the oven and allow to cool.

6. Lower the oven temperature to 325.

7. In a mixing bowl, combine the lime juice and condensed milk. Whisk on medium speed until combined.

8. Add each egg one at a time and whisk until just fully mixed in.

9. Pour into cooled pie shell and bake for 15 minutes.

10. Chill in the refrigerator for at least two hours before serving.

To make whipping cream pour 1 cup whipping cream into cold mixing bowl and whisk on high speed until it forms soft peaks. Add 1/4 cup granulated sugar and mix again on high speed until medium peaks form.

I hope you enjoy it as much as my daughter! Please let me know how it turns out.

If you want to check out my Tumblr where I'll regularly be posting new recipes click the link below!

https://www.Kathys-Home-Kitchen

Kathy

My Self-Care Garden

2024-08-29T12:36:00.001-04:00

Hardy Hibiscus

"Self-Care" seems to be a relatively new concept. When I was a young adult, there was no talk of "self-care," at least not that I remember.

The stress of today's world, though seems to have brought the idea of carving out time to care for yourself to the forefront of many people's minds. We need time to retreat from the crazy, over-stimulated world and simply breathe. To reset.

Self-care can be anything where you are creating space for you. It could be extravagant like a spa day or it could be simple and cheap like making sure you work-out, meditate, or just curl up with a good book.

For me, going outside and working in my garden is part of my self-care ritual. I love nothing more than to get my hands in the dirt and remove weeds from the soil. To commune with my flowers, trees, and shrubs. To breathe in the oxygen that they release and to give them my breath in exchange. To be surprised when a big fat nightcrawler wiggles up to the surface. And to be momentarily terrified when a wolf spider the size of my thumb appears in front of me. (When that happens, I usually surrender that part of my garden to the spider and work in a different spot.)

Double Begonia

It is hard, sweaty, filthy, work and yet as I'm crouching in the dirt, taking care of all my flowers, I feel them taking care of me. I give my time and sore muscles, but I receive so much more. Not only do I receive a sense of peace and oneness with a greater world outside myself, but they give me their beauty all summer long. I'm grateful for the time I'm able to spend in my garden and I'm grateful every day I gaze out my window and see my flowers smiling back at me.

Today, on this cloudy day in Cleveland, I thought I would share their beauty with you.

Let me know which one you like the best!!

I'd love to hear what you do to make space for yourself and what you're grateful for today!!

Mandevilla

Thanks for stopping by!

Kathy

Clematis

Siberian Iris

Platycodon-Balloon Flower

Tiger Lily

Bleeding Heart

Rose of Sharon

I'm Sick of My Phone

2024-08-21T10:18:00.001-04:00

The other day, I got an alert on my phone:

You spent an average of 4 hours and 30 minutes daily on your phone last week. Congratulations, that's down from last week's average.

Instantly, I wanted to throw my phone. That number couldn't be correct. I'm not on it that much. I clicked to see the breakdown.

There it was, right in front of me, my daily breakdown of cellphone usage. Sunday, I spent 3 hours reading news. Monday, it was productivity and finance. In my head, I tried to rationalize that one-I was accomplishing things. One day, I spent 2.5 hours on the Social category. Every day there was something that drew me in for hours to that little screen attached to my body.

I'm 52 years old, I've lived 2,704 weeks. According to the book 4,000 Weeks by Robert Boseman, which says the average person lives only about 4,000 weeks, about 77 years, I only have 1,296 left. Of course, I had to use my phone's calculator to figure that out.

Do I really want to spend my remaining weeks on my phone for 4 hours a day? That seems like such a waste. Especially, when I think about my first 35 years when I had no portable phone at all. I was still able to work, keep up with my friends and family, and know what was going on in the world.

Sure my iPhone 11 makes a lot of things easier. Texting multiple friends, family members, and clients in a day is super quick and easy. Now I can carry 5,000 photos, 2,000 videos, and countless books literally in my pocket. I can keep up with Breaking News as it is happening no matter where I am. Most importantly for me, a navigationally impaired person, I have a map with me at all times.

But does that make it better? Am I really more productive now that I can eliminate every moment of boredom? Am I living a happier more meaningful life?

Gratitude and Intention #IWSG

2023-01-04T09:33:00.004-05:00

Happy New Year!!!

2023 is here and I have a great feeling that this year is going to be a good one! And what a great way to start it by having another post of the IWSG!!

Find us on Twitter at @TheIWSG #IWSG

This month's cohosts are: Jemima Pett, Debs Carey, Kim Lajevardi, Sarah Foster, Natalie Aguirre, and T. Powell Coltrin!

January 4 question - Do you have a word of the year? Is there one word that sums up what you need to work on or change in the coming year? For instance, in 2021 my word of the year was Finish. I was determined to finished my first draft by the end of the year. In 2022, my word of the year is Ease. I want to get my process, systems, finances, and routines where life flows with ease and less chaos. What is yourword for 2023? Why?

I have two words for this year: Gratitude and Intention.

It's easy to be bogged down by stress, worry and negativity but when I take the time to actively think of what I'm grateful for each day everything else seems to be less important. So this year I really want to start each day by focusing on what I'm grateful for.

One of the many things I'm grateful for is the IWSG, all of you who participate in this amazing community of writers, and of course Alex J. Cavanaugh who began the whole thing. I joined when it began maybe ten years ago (not sure the date it started). I took some years off but when I was ready to come back the IWSG welcomed me as if I had ever left and was even stronger! Thank you!

Intention

How many times have I caught myself scrolling through some type of social media app or even just getting lost in news articles that are for the most part meaningless? I'm really good at simply letting time slip through my fingers with not much to show for it. Not that I need to be accomplishing something every second but I want to spend the precious little time I have in this year of 2023 with intention. I want to decide how I spend my moments and not let them mindlessly pass without notice. To be present and to be grateful for each moment.

Do you have a word for this year? What are you excited about for 2023?

In other news, I woke up on January 1st to see that my e-book had made it to the #1 Best Seller list in its category on Amazon! What a wonderful surprise and a great way to start 2023 with a bang!

I hope you all had a wonderful holiday season and have a very Happy 2023!!

Love,

Kathy :)

IWSG and New Projects

2022-12-08T11:00:00.001-05:00

Find us on Twitter at @TheIWSG #IWSG

This month's cohosts are:

Joylene Nowell Butler, Chemist Ken, Natalie Aguirre, Nancy Gideon, and Cathrina Constantine!

The question of the month is: It's holiday time! Are the holidays a time to catch up or fall behind on writer goals?

Well since I'm even posting this a day late, you can probably surmise that my holiday time is usually when I fall most behind in writing goals! But I've learned to tell myself that it's okay. As long as I have writing goals and I continue to work on them even haphazardly then I'm doing fine.

Last month I mentioned that I'm working on revising a novel, which I am still doing but I've added another project to my goals list.

I've decided to write a cookbook. My kids are about to all be out on their own. One is getting married next year and the others will probably be soon to follow. I'm actually writing the cookbook as a way to teach them how to make their favorite homemade recipes and if other people can learn and enjoy it that's even better!

Hope you all have a wonderful holiday season!!

With love,

Kathy

November IWSG and NaNoWriMo

2022-11-02T11:00:00.000-04:00

It's the first Wednesday in November so it's time for another IWSG post!

Find us on Twitter at @TheIWSG #IWSG

This month's co-hosts are: Diedre Knight, Douglas Thomas Greening, Nick Wilford, and Diane Burton!

The optional question of the month is: November is National Novel Writing Month. Have you ever participated? If not, why not?

I did participate several years ago in NaNoWriMo. The daily word count target motivated me to make sure that I sat down and wrote a little bit every day and usually I ended up writing more than the goal! But by the time it got to be the week before Thanksgiving and I was about to have sixteen people at my house I began to panic about the clutter covering my counters and the fact that I hadn't figured out what I would be serving besides turkey and mashed potatoes. For a couple days I dove into cleaning and meal planning and cooking anything I could in advance. I would have to write just before bed. Unfortunately, by that time I was too tired and fell asleep after typing only a few hundred words.

When relatives started showing up on the Tuesday before Thanksgiving, I decided to stop trying. Not because I had given up but because I wanted to enjoy everyone's company and not feel guilty for either not writing or for running off to a quiet corner to get a few words in.

Even though I didn't officially complete NaNo, I still felt it was a success and a great experience! I had spent several days in a row getting into the habit of writing and I had a great start to a novel! All in all I would recommend trying it if you've never done it before.

This year, I'm going about it a little bit differently. I'm still having a bunch of people over for Thanksgiving but I already have a completed novel that I need to edit. I've decided I will try to edit 3,300 words per day and maybe do a few more at the beginning of the month.

Good luck to all of you who participate this year!

And have a wonderful Thanksgiving!!

Kathy

Horror Isn't For Me! September IWSG!

2022-09-07T15:18:00.002-04:00

It is already September and I have no idea where this summer has gone! Between working, summer traveling, and our youngest graduating from high school this summer has been one of our craziest and I've really missed writing and blogging. But there's no better way to get back in the swing of things than with an IWSG post!

Find us on Twitter at @TheIWSG #IWSG

Our awesome cohosts for this month are: Kim Lajevardi, Cathrina Constantine, Natalie Aguirre, Olga Godim, Michelle Wallace, and Louise - Fundy Blue!

The optional question for this month is:

What genre would be the worst for you to tackle and why?

I'm willing to try most genres but for me, horror would be the worst genre for me to write. I have never been interested in watching or reading anything in that genre. I think my kids watched all of The Shining before I did. Even after finally watching it, I didn't enjoy it, and then those two little girls from the bloody elevator kept haunting me in my dreams.

Every time I have given in to my husband and kids who seemingly love to spend their nights watching a character be possessed or go coo-coo and grab the nearest weapon to torture everyone around them, I wake up in the middle of the night in a cold sweat dreaming that I'm running for my life.

So I've decided that paranormal, psychological, and chainsaw massacre horror stories simply aren't my thing and my family can watch them without me.

If I tried to write one, it would be really lame. Maybe I could write a spoof of a horror movie and make everyone laugh instead of scream.

What would be your worst genre?

Hope you've all had a wonderful summer!

Love,

Kathy :)

June's #IWSG Curiosity Gets Me to the End

2022-06-01T07:40:00.001-04:00

Find us on Twitter at @TheIWSG #IWSG

The awesome co-hosts for this month are:

SE White, Cathrina Constantine,Natalie Aguire, Joylene Nowell Butler, and Jacqui Murray!

This month's optional question is: When the going gets tough writing the story, how do you keep yourself writing to the end? If have not started the writing yet, why do you think that is and what do you think could help you find your groove and start?

Curiosity is what keeps me writing to the end. I usually only have a basic idea of where the story will go when I begin. It is fascinating how characters take on a life of their own seemingly independent of me. My brain has birthed them from somewhere but then like real children, they sometimes make choices that I never would have expected. I want to see where their journey takes them.

For my non-fiction book, One Year on Broadway, I persevered because I believed the world needed more stories of love and forgiveness, of coming together to be a part of something bigger than ourselves.

Can't wait to read what your strategies are to get through to the end!

I hope you all have a wonderful June!!

Love,

Kathy

CassaDark Release! Interview with Alex Cavanaugh and IWSG!

2022-04-06T05:00:00.004-04:00

CassaDark

By Alex J. Cavanaugh

His world is unraveling…

Bassan’s father is stepping down from command. His best friend almost dies when Bassan freezes. Now, he’s being sent across the galaxy to speak at an important conference. Despite saving the eleven races years ago, he’s paralyzed by fear and doubt. Could things get any worse?

Once there, new acquaintance Zendar convinces Bassan to visit his planet for a humanitarian mission. Bassan’s special connection to ancient technology is the key to saving Zendar’s people. One problem though—it’s a prisoner planet.

On Ugar, he discovers things aren’t so straightforward. As each secret reveals itself, the situation grows more desperate. If he can’t find the right answers, he might die along with Zendar’s people. Can Bassan summon the courage to be a hero again?

Trade paperback, 226 pages, Dancing Lemur Press, LLC
Science fiction - Adventure (FIC028010) / Space Opera (FIC028030) / Space Exploration (FIC028130)
Print ISBN 9781939844842 $16.95 / eBook ISBN 9781939844859 $4.99

Links:
iTunes – https://books.apple.com/us/book/x/id1574189874
Amazon – https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0982FL3SH
Barnes & Noble – https://www.barnesandnoble.com/s/2940164947033
Kobo – https://store.kobobooks.com/en-us/Search?Query=9781939844859
Scribed – https://www.scribd.com/search?query=9781939844859&language=0
Goodreads - https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/58461762-cassadark

Interview with Alex Cavanaugh!

Kathy: Hi Alex! Great to have you here!

Alex: Thanks for having me!

K: I've known you "virtually" for a long time and it was a thrill and a joy to read your latest adventure in the Cassa world! I'd love to hear more about what went into this newest journey through space. So let's just get started:

K: In your Cassa series most of the books follow Byron, what made you choose to tell Bassan's story this time?

A: By the time I got to CassaStorm, Byron was now in his early sixties. (Cassans live to be 120, so he wasn’t quite as old as it sounds.) But since I kept jumping ahead twenty years in between books, I knew the next jump would place Byron too old for action and adventure. (Like having Harrison Ford do Indiana Jones right now!) An idea for an adventure for Bassan (Byron’s son) hit me and I decided that was the next logical step in the stories—move on to the next generation. I only jumped ahead fifteen years for this one, though…

K: I agree! I'm all for staying active late in life, but I don't really want to see an 80 year old Harrison Ford in an action movie! 😬😳 How much growth can an 80 year old experience throughout a story arc any way? The growth and progression of Bassan's character and how he learns to trust himself as well as those around him was one of the things I loved most about this book. Can you talk about how you crafted Bassan into a well-rounded character?

A: Sheer luck? Just kidding! Bassan was a bit shy as a child and always following his older friend’s lead, and I figured that carried over into adulthood. Add the fact that he feels his greatest achievement was saving the races when he was ten and it’s now fifteen years later. He’s aware that’s mostly what he’s known for. He doesn’t like change, but he wants his life to mean more. It fed into his insecurity. Dump on the concerns of choosing a life mate, of disappointing people, and fear of new things, and I think I gave him a lot of qualities many people deal with in real life.

K: Yes, you did! And I think there are so many people who have early success in something whether it's school, sports, or music and then all of a sudden as they age, they struggle with the fact that maybe they have already had their moment of greatness and wonder where to turn. I'm so glad Bassan learned to trust in the fact that his greatness was his courage to do the right thing and risk his own life to help others.

K: Let's talk a little bit about world building--the Cassa world is huge!! What is your process to keep all the details straight?

And how do you go about coming up with new species for your worlds? My favorite in this one was the xert!

A: I wish I could tell you I keep everything organized on a spreadsheet or something, but I really don’t. I do have the basics for each race and the planets encountered in the series written down, although when writing this, I had to refer to CassaStorm, the previous book, more than once. I guess I have lived with this world so long, it’s ingrained in me.

Glad you liked the xert! He was a last minute addition. I tend to focus so much on people that I forget critters. But on a planet with few people, those critters would be all over the place.

K: About how long does it take you to write a new book?

A: Depends on the book. This one took almost two years, because I’d taken a long, long break and was quite rusty once I began writing again. The first one was about a year. The next three took around two to four months, so that’s probably closer to my average.

K: Two to four months on average! That's awesome! I hope some day I can write that proficiently. What is coming next in the CassaWorld? Or are you planning something totally different?

A: I have no idea. I may have thrown everything at Byron’s family that I can. As for my standalone, outside of death, I can’t think of anything else to throw at that main character. Might have to come up with something new.

K: I can't wait to see what you conjure up! Which sci-fi books or movies have had the biggest influence on your writing?

A: I read a lot of Arthur C. Clarke, Alan Dean Foster, Robert L Heinlein, and Terry Brooks when I was younger. More recently, Timothy Zahn’s Star Wars books have been a big influence. (The man knows how to keep things brief and moving!) As for movies, of course Battlestar Galactica and Star Wars influenced me when I was younger, and the slew of new science fiction movies keep the ideas flowing.

K: Those are the giants of sci-fi!

As the Ninja captain of IWSG, I know you're super busy! Do you do speaking engagements, book fairs, or writers conferences? What do you feel has been the best way to get your book in front of readers?

A: I’m not much for in-person events. Most of what I’ve done in the past has been through my connections online and blogging. Times have changed, so we’ll see how well that does for this book. Thankfully my publisher does a lot of marketing and comic con appearances to make up for what I lack.

K: Is there anything else you would like to share?

A: Buy the book!

Just kidding.

CassaDark may be the fourth in a series, but it can be read alone, especially as it follows a different character than the other three.

Thanks for letting me ramble, Kathy!

K: You're welcome! And yes, everyone go out and buy the book! It's a great read!

And here's a cool graphic of all of Alex's books, go read them all! 😀

Alex J. Cavanaugh works in web design and graphics, and he plays guitar in a Christian band. A fan of all things science fiction, his interests range from books and movies to music and games. Online he is known as Ninja Captain Alex and he’s the founder of the Insecure Writer’s Support Group.
http://alexjcavanaugh.com

https://www.insecurewriterssupportgroup.com/

https://twitter.com/AlexJCavanaugh

When I first started blogging over 12 years ago, Alex was there to be a voice of encouragement and support. He brought so many of us together, sponsoring fun contests, bloghops and finally creating the Insecure Writer's Support Group, now a site recognized as one of the top Writer's sites by Writer's Digest. Without Alex, I most likely would have quit blogging a very long time ago. Thanks Alex for creating this wonderful writing family!!!

And now for April's IWSG post!

Find us on Twitter at @TheIWSG #IWSG

The awesome co-hosts for this month are: Joylene Nowell Butler, Jemima Pett, Patricia Josephine, Louise - Fundy Blue, and Kim Lajevardi!

Question of the Month: Have any of your books been made into audio books? If so, what is the main challenge in producing an audiobook?

I haven't made my book into an audio book yet, though I am thinking about doing that eventually. So I welcome any suggestions or ideas on this topic.

My insecurity for this month is that I have a few library/bookstore talks coming up this spring and I'm a little nervous about them. I actually don't mind public speaking too much but in the past I have always spoken about my other career: the sport of figure skating. I've spent over thirty years teaching beginner to advanced skaters so I'm super comfortable speaking about it. Talking about my memoir, One Year on Broadway seems like a much more daunting task.

Are you excited to read CassaDark? What are your tips on audiobook creation or speaking events?

Have a lovely April! We're finally seeing a little bit of sun here in Ohio!

Love,

Kathy :)

#IWSG Post

2022-03-02T11:49:00.002-05:00

Okay I don't know how March snuck up on me so quickly! February seemed to move like a snail and all of a sudden it's March 2nd and it's the first Wednesday of March which means it's time for another Insecure Writer's Support Group post! The IWSG was founded by Alex J. Cavanaugh as a place where we can share our fears and successes with a supportive environment. The IWSG is a wonderful community to meet other authors, hear their struggles, give and receive encouragement and friendship and it has been named one of Writer's Digest top 101 sites for writers!!

Come join us!

Thank you to this month's co-hosts: Janet Alcorn, Pat Garcia,Natalie Aguirre, and Shannon Lawrence! Please go visit them!

The optional question for March is: Have you ever been conflicted about writing a story or adding a scene to a story? How did you decide to write it or not?

Yes, I have. When writing my nonfiction/memoir book One Year on Broadway which just released last August, I was conflicted about writing the chapter detailing my parents' anger and refusal to allow me to date my husband because he was half Japanese. There were some pretty horrible things said to both of us. One night in particular they threatened my husband with harm if he ever saw me again.

Of course my husband and I have been married now for over 27 years. My parents apologized before our wedding and deeply regretted their actions. They have been wonderful to us ever since.

Writing the first draft, I put everything in, all those pent up feelings that I thought I had let go a long time ago came out in a very vivid, emotional scene. But I knew that I couldn't publish that. Those shouted words that had been burned into my brain that night so long ago, now written on a page would have hurt my parents as much as they did us when they were first said. That was never my intention for writing our story. Their words spoken in fear and anger did not define who they really were.

I wanted our story to be more about the forgiveness and the capacity to love deeply even when hurt by someone.

So I rewrote the pivotal scene to be more like a series of sharp photographic flashbacks instead of full narrative. This way, I could get the point across of what occurred and still protect my aging parents. They had only been trying to protect me.

Sadly, my father passed only a few months before it was published, but my mom read it and I'm happy to report that she loved it so much that she has recommended it to all her friends and our relatives!

Also don't forget to stop by April 6th for my interview with Alex J Cavanaugh about his upcoming release CassaDark!!!

Hurry and pre-order your copy to today and make sure to add to your Goodreads To Read shelf!!

Here are all the links!

iTunes – https://books.apple.com/us/book/x/id1574189874
Amazon – https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0982FL3SH
Barnes & Noble – https://www.barnesandnoble.com/s/2940164947033
Kobo – https://store.kobobooks.com/en-us/Search?Query=9781939844859
Scribed – https://www.scribd.com/search?query=9781939844859&language=0

Goodreads - https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/58461762-cassadark

Hope you all have a wonderful March!!

Love,

Kathy

My Favorite Books as a Kid, IWSG, CassaDark Coming soon!

2022-02-02T06:30:00.004-05:00

Let’s rock the neurotic writing world!

Our Twitter handle is @TheIWSG and hashtag is #IWSG.

Our awesome co-hosts for this month are: Joylene Nowell Butler, Jacqui Murray, Sandra Cox, and Lee Lowery!

My Favorite Books as a Kid

In the middle of cleaning out the clutter in my house and boxing old books to donate to the library, I found some treasures. Hidden amongst Early Reader mermaid novellas that my daughter had loved, were some of the books that I had cherished as a child. These were the books that sparked my fascination with words and story-telling.

I asked my parents to read Tweety so much to me that my dad started reading the words backwards to make it more interesting for him! Then when I was about seven, I decided I was going to make my own copy of it (not sure why, I guess I was fascinated with book-making from a young age) so I wrote down every word from each page and tried to trace the pictures.

These three were my other favorites. I loved the irony that Grover was the monster at the end of the book, it made me laugh every time. Ho-Hum was about a little boy who went to the zoo and saw all the animals yawning which put him to sleep. I think my mom read this one to me to put me to sleep too-yawns really are contagious! Here again I was drawn to the humor of the boy wanting so badly to visit the zoo and then falling asleep there.

The middle book was my favorite of all of them which is probably why it lost its cover. Dinosaur Time by Peggy Parish was my favorite because first of all it was about dinosaurs, my favorite animals, and it was the book that my grandpa most often read to me. Which brings me to the IWSG Question of the month:

Is there someone who supported or influenced you that perhaps isn't around anymore? Anyone you miss?

Other than my parents, my grandpa probably had the biggest influence on my young life. We had so much in common that he was easy to bond with. When I was very little he read to me. We shared a love of nature, animals, and gardening, and he helped inspire a fascination with travel and adventure in me. Almost every weekend in the summers we went fishing together. Usually, we didn't catch anything but we talked about everything and enjoyed watching the pink-orange sun slip beneath the horizon.

our favorite fishing spot

Gramps teaching my son to fish

A lucky day!

Throughout my life he has always been there. In my competitive skating days, he built me a backyard ice rink, so I could practice every day in the winter. When I was in college he supported me in my decision to marry my husband and later he helped me and my husband build a deck off our first house-he was 78!

Always active and trying new things, he took up singing lessons when he was 89. He always had a lesson to teach me and this was that age doesn't matter, if you want to go do something do it!

One of the last times fishing with him and my girls

We lost him in 2013 at the age of 91 and I miss him every day. His spirit inspires me to this day and I carry him in my heart where ever I go.

Jeremy Hawkins Tribute

On January 3, 2022 we lost one of our own IWSG members. I met Jeremy the first year I started my blog--way back in 2012 and he was always there to give a helpful comment. I never met him in person but his warm and caring personality came through in every blog/social media exchange that we ever had. Jeremy will be greatly missed. You can support his family by buying one of his t-shirts that he designed.

CassaDark Releasing April 5!

Alex J. Cavanaugh is releasing his latest book in the Cassa series CassaDark on April 5th!

Come back on April 6th to read my interview with Alex where we talk all sorts of writing stuff and he gives us insight on how he chose to follow a new character line in his series!!

Hope everyone has a wonderful February!

Stay safe and healthy! 💕💕

Kathy :)